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Carlson Hotels Worldwide and its Family of Hotel Brands Join Together to End Exploitation of Children and Young Women Around the World
Carlson Hotels Worldwide and its Family of Hotel Brands Join Together to End Exploitation of Children and Young Women Around the World
Published 10-01-04
Submitted by Carlson Hospitality Worldwide
Carlson, a founding sponsor of Childhood, has to date donated $1 million through the Curtis L. Carlson Foundation, plus in-kind services to Childhood. Carlson's affiliation with Childhood builds on its April 2004 announcement that it has become the first North American company to sign a global code of conduct aimed at protecting children against sexual exploitation in the travel and tourism industry. Carlson's compliance with the Code of Conduct includes educational outreach to the public, of which the fund raising program is a part.
"UNICEF estimates that two million children, many of them girls, are part of the multi-billion dollar commercial sex trade," said Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman and CEO of Carlson Companies. "We need to do what we can to educate people on this growing problem and help put an end to it. By supporting World Childhood Foundation through a small donation of $1 per night, our guests can contribute to a charitable effort that supports over 75 children's aid programs in 15 countries." The fund raising program will run from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, 2004 and thereafter run twice a year for two months at a time.
"We encourage our hotels to build relationships in their communities and the world in which we operate and this program provides a method to achieve that goal," said Trudy Rautio, president of Carlson Hotels Worldwide, The Americas, who has helped develop the fund raising effort within Carlson's hotel group. "With hotels stepping forward to participate throughout North America, we will build awareness and momentum for this charitable cause as we reach out and help children around the corner and around the globe."
Founded in 1999 by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden to serve the world's most vulnerable children, World Childhood Foundation, headquartered in Stockholm, with offices in New York, Sao Paulo and Munich, has donated over $7 million (USD) to help aid children at risk of exploitation around the world. In the United States, for example, Childhood supports:
For complete background on all of World Childhood Foundation's current projects, please visit www.childhood-usa.org.
About Carlson Companies
Carlson Companies is a global leader in the marketing, business and leisure travel, and hospitality industries.
Among the names in the Carlson family of brands and services are: Carlson Marketing Group(R), Peppers and Rogers Group, Carlson Wagonlit Travel(R), Carlson Destination Marketing Services, Carlson Leisure Travel Services, CW Government Travel, Regent(R) International Hotels, Radisson Hotels & Resorts(R), Park Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson(R), Park Inn(R) hotels, Results Travel, Cruise Holidays, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises(R), and T.G.I. Friday's(R) and Pick Up Stix(R) restaurants. Carlson Companies' 2003 systemwide sales (including franchises) totaled $20.9 billion, while sales from the company's owned and operated divisions totaled $6.8 billion. Carlson owned/operated businesses employ about 53,000 people around the world.
With headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Carlson Companies was recognized by Working Mother magazine as one of the "100 best companies for working mothers" in 2001, 2002 and 2003. In addition, Fortune magazine named Carlson Companies as one of "The Best Companies to Work For" in 2002. www.carlson.com
Carlson Hospitality Worldwide
